Science Club at New Park Primary

Science Club at New Park Primary, 2016-201.

Science Club at New Park Primary

Science Club at New Park Primary, 2016-201.

VG&M Summer Science Club

Five members of the Centre for Proteome Research ran the first of six science club sessions hosted at the Victoria Gallery & Museum.  The session was entitled “Beyond the Cell” and was attended by 13 students aged between seven and 10. We started out the afternoon by introducing the students to the concept of our DNA being stored in the nucleus of our cells – to accompany this idea the students extracted DNA from strawberries and made DNA models from sweeties. We then talked about DNA being the code for proteins and how there are different types of proteins in our bodies. The students matched descriptions of proteins to the types of “sample” were that protein might be found. We also used jelly beans to demonstrate how different amounts of proteins, or the presence of a new protein, could help us to diagnose a disease. To round off the afternoon the students tried out three different analysis techniques – testing the pH of household solutions using red cabbage indicator, running dyes and inks on paper chromatography, and measuring the travel time of differently weighted marbles on a model mass spectrometer. We really wanted to encourage the students to ask as many questions as possible and try to think like scientists, any they absolutely loved the hands-on activities, especially those involving sweets!

VGM

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Back at the VG&M! Summer Science Club!

Every year the Victoria Gallery and Museum at the University of Liverpool hosts a Summer Science Club with a session per week for six weeks. Each session is hosted by a different group from the University and four members of CPR volunteered to host a Proteomics session. There were 12 students aged nine to 11 who attended the two hour session, having a go at hands-on activities all centered around DNA, proteins and diagnosing diseases.

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